Holy Week Services

During Holy Week we focus more particularly on the Passion and death of Our Lord, before celebrating his glorious resurrection.

The veiling of the statues gives a striking austerity to the Church, reminding us of the solemn and mournful time of the suffering and death of the Lord as we approach the liturgical celebration of his Passion.

At the website, you can look up times of all our Holy Week Services and Confessions.

Crib Service today

Our Crib Service today was a heartwarming occasion with little shepherds, angels and kings taking part in a tableau to celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Some of the older ones read passages from the Holy Scriptures:

and some of the younger ones just took part in their own way:

One young shepherd was particularly enthused by some of the carols:

The Kings made their procession with gifts as described in Holy Writ. It was great that so many dads came along like St Joseph, the "upright and just man", supporting the family occasion:

And finally, all the children gathered to sing, to receive a blessing, to be photographed by loving parents and to help us all to enter into the spirit of the feast day:

Carol and Memorial Service

Our Parish Carol Service will be on Sunday 6 December 3pm. At this Service, held in co-operation with Ashdown Funeral Services, we will also remember those who have died. It offers an opportunity for us to welcome non-Catholics to the Church, offering our prayers and charity.

Holy Week and Easter Services

We now enter the last two weeks of Lent when we focus more particularly on the Passion and death of Our Lord, before celebration his glorious resurrection.

By ancient custom, the crucifixes and statues in the Church are veiled from today until the Easter Vigil. As with many of our ancient liturgical customs, this has various meanings. Before his Passion, Jesus hid himself and no longer went openly among the Jews. At his passion, the divinity of Jesus was hidden by his humiliation and sufferings for our sake. The statues of Our Lady and the saints are covered because it is not fitting for the servants to be honoured when their Master is hidden.

The veiling of the statues gives a striking austerity to the Church, reminding us of the solemn and mournful time of the suffering and death of the Lord as we approach the liturgical celebration of his Passion.

At the website, you can look up times of all our Holy Week Services and Confessions.

There is also a printable version of the Holy Week Services sheet.

"Million Party"

On Saturday, after our monthly Missa Cantata, there was a little party in the Hall to celebrate the millionth visit to Fr Finigan's blog "The Hermeneutic of Continuity." On this occasion, as well as the regular good attendance from parishioners, we had some visitors who travelled to Blackfen. Many thanks to Trisha and the Luncheon Club team for providing a delicious fork buffet.

In the afternoon, we celebrated solemn Vespers (the evening prayer of the Church) and prayed for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict. It was lovely to have so many children and young people at these events. As Pope Benedict said "The Church is alive... the Church is young!"

Christmas Masses

The Masses for Christmas Day are celebrated as follows:

Midnight Mass
(preceded by carols from 11.20pm)
Solemn High Latin Mass sung in the older form of the Roman Rite

9am Dawn Mass
10.30am Day Mass
English Masses with carols in the ordinary, newer form of the Roman Rite.
At the 9am Mass, after Holy Communion, the children are invited to gather round the crib to sing the carol Away in a Manger.

Crib Service

This afternoon we had our Christmas Children's Crib Service. Children are invited to come dressed as an angel, a shepherd or a king and the children's liturgy team organise them in a simple service of readings and carols with a tableau of the Nativity.

Each year, the team try to find out about a baby who is to be born shortly before the service who can play the part of baby Jesus. This year it was Joshua. It was a very special day for him since he was also baptised this morning.

Christmas Services

There is a special page with times of services for Christmas and the New Year.

Please note that there is no early evening Mass on Christmas Eve. Our first Mass for Christmas is the Midnight Mass. The Church will be open from 11pm. Carols before Midnight Mass begin at 11.20pm.

May Jesus Christ,
the Son of God
who became man
for our salvation,
bless you
and your families
during this Holy Season.

Crowning of the statue of Our Blessed Lady

May is the month of Mary and today at Our Lady of the Rosary School, the children took part in a devotional service in honour of Our Blessed Mother. First, you can see some of the children laying flowers symbolically at the feet of the patroness of the school and the parish:


The statue is crowned with a garland of flowers to show the love and veneration that we offer to the Mother of God:

And here is a picture of the statue crowned and adorned with flowers:


Children of all ages had prepared work for this devotional service. From the Reception Class (age 4-5) to Year 6 (age 10-11) there were various prayers, thoughtful poems and compositions, and dramatic presentations based on the texts of Holy Scripture to remind us of the place of Our Blessed Lady in God's plan of salvation.

Easter Triduum Services

Times of services for the Easter Triduum at Our Lady of the Rosary. Blackfen:

Maundy Thursday
8pm Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
with washing of the feet and Blessed Sacrament Procession. Watching at the altar of repose until Midnight

Good Friday
10am Children’s Stations of the Cross
11am Solemn Stations of the Cross
3pm Liturgy of the Passion
with Reading of St John’s Passion, veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion

Holy Saturday
Confessions: 11-11.30am and 5-5.30pm

8.30pm Solemn Easter Vigil and Mass
With Blessing of Paschal Candle, procession, proclamation of Easter, and renewal of Baptismal promises.

Easter Sunday
9am Easter Sunday Mass
10.30am Easter Sunday Mass (sung Latin Mass)
6pm Easter Sunday Mass

Christmas and New Year services

There is a special page with times of services for Christmas and the New Year.

Please note that there is no 6pm Mass on Christmas Eve. Our first Mass for Christmas is the Midnight Mass. The Church will be open from 11pm. Carols before Midnight Mass begin at 11.20pm.

May Jesus Christ,
the Son of God
who became man
for our salvation,
bless you
and your families
during this Holy Season.

Dates for December

Parish Carol Service, Sunday 16 December 3pm
The Choir are preparing an inspiring programme with plenty of favourite carols for everyone to join in.

At this service, held in co-operation with Ashdown Funerals, we will also remember all the faithful departed and especially those who have died during the past year.

Children’s Crib Service, Sunday 23 December 3pm
All children are welcome to come, dressed simply as shepherds, angels or kings.
Please note that we do not have a “vigil Mass” for Christmas Day. Our first Mass for Christmas is the midnight Mass.

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

This Sunday, 7 October, is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary: our parish patronal feast day.

We have Mass at our usual times (6pm Saturday, 9am, 10.30am and 6pm Sunday). Our 10.30am Mass will be sung in Latin.

In the afternoon, at 3pm we have the Rosary, an indoor procession of the statue of Our Lady, and Benediction.

Holy Hour for children

This Friday afternoon at 5pm, we have a Holy Hour for children. This will involve adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, singing of popular hymns to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady, and Benediction.

This is part of a worldwide initiative, promoted by "Children of the Eucharist." The Holy Father, Pope Benedict, has granted the Apostolic Blessing to all who participate.

High Mass Friday 12noon

This Friday 14 September, at 12noon, there will be a Solemn High Mass in the older form of the Roman Rite. The Mass will be the Mass of the Feast Day (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross).

Celebrant: Fr Timothy Finigan (parish priest)
Deacon: Fr Nicholas Schofield
Subdeacon: Fr Richard Whinder.

The Mass will be sung in Gregorian Chant according to the Roman Gradual. The Te Deum will be sung after Mass in thanksgiving for the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI.

Fr John Zuhlsdorf, author of the blog "What does the prayer really say?" will be preaching at the Mass.

A buffet will be served in the parish's Large Hall after the Mass. All are welcome.

Directions to the Church.

Extra Mass Wednesday 7am

There will be a Low Mass in the older form of the Roman Rite at the Lady Altar at 7am on Wednesday.

Usus antiquior Mass on Monday

Fr Finigan will be celebrating a private Mass at 11.30am on Monday 27 August, using the usus antiquior, the older form of the Roman Rite. All are welcome to attend this Mass.

(Mass is celebrated in the older form of the Roman Rite every Saturday in the Church at 10.30am, followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the opportunity for confession. Adoration concludes with Benediction at noon, followed by the singing of the Marian anthem as appropriate for the season (currently the Salve Regina.)

First Holy Communions

The parish first Holy Communion Masses will take place on the first three Saturdays in May: 5 May, 12 May and 19 May.

On those days, we are not able to have our usual confessions and adoration on Saturday morning.

All are welcome to the Masses. Please be seated in the Church by 10.15am.

Many thanks indeed to our team of catechists who have worked so hard to prepare the children for this very special day. Please remember the children and their families in your prayers.

If for any reason, your child has missed out on preparing for their first Holy Communion, do contact Fr Finigan, the parish priest. For children who are currently in Year 3 it is usually best to wait and join next year's parish programme. For older children, Ít is possible to arrange for children to receive some instruction appropriate to their age and then make their first Confession and first Holy Communion during the summer. In all cases, the children should be coming regularly to Mass every Sunday with their family. (Information about all our sacramental programmes is given out well in advance over several weeks in the parish newsletter and verbal notices at Mass.)

Holy Week Services

Times of all our Holy Week Services and Confessions.

Printable version of the Holy Week Services sheet.

Dowry of Mary Week

December 4th-9th at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, Blackfen

Praying Holy Hours throughout the week, with talks from some of England’s most passionate Catholics, the Dowry of Mary Week seeks out to inspire Catholics to renew their own Faith as well as to reclaim England as Mary’s own. Speakers will discuss their own personal conversions to Catholicism, as well as the historical circumstances that surrounded the great fissure in Christianity.

Each night’s event will begin at 7:30 with a Holy Hour followed by a conference from one of our speakers. On Saturday, there will be the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass at 10:30 followed by a Holy Hour and a concluding lunch. All are welcome!

Schedule
Dec. 4th – Cyprian Blarimes: My Personal Path to Rome
Dec. 5th – Fr. Richard Whinder: Pre-Reformation England
Dec. 6th – Deacon John Greenwood: My Personal Path to Rome
Dec. 7th – Fr. Tim Finigan: The English Martyrs
Dec. 8th – Joanna Bogle: Continuity, England’s Catholic Heritage
Dec. 9th – Holy Mass followed by a concluding lunch

Sponsored by Continuity – Miles Jesu – Path to Rome